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Singh A, Zeig-Owens R, Cannon M, Webber MP, Goldfarb DG, Daniels RD, Prezant DJ, Boffetta P, Hall CB. All-cause and cause-specific mortality in a cohort of WTC-exposed and non-WTC-exposed firefighters. Occup Environ Med 2023; 80:297-303. [PMID: 36972975 PMCID: PMC10523283 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2022-108703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare mortality rates in World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) firefighters with rates in similarly healthy, non-WTC-exposed/non-FDNY firefighters, and compare mortality in each firefighter cohort with the general population. METHODS 10 786 male WTC-exposed FDNY firefighters and 8813 male non-WTC-exposed firefighters from other urban fire departments who were employed on 11 September 2001 were included in the analyses. Only WTC-exposed firefighters received health monitoring via the WTC Health Programme (WTCHP). Follow-up began 11 September 2001 and ended at the earlier of death date or 31 December 2016. Death data were obtained from the National Death Index and demographics from the fire departments. We estimated standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) in each firefighter cohort versus US males using demographic-specific US mortality rates. Poisson regression models estimated relative rates (RRs) of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in WTC-exposed versus non-WTC-exposed firefighters, controlling for age and race. RESULTS Between 11 September 2001 and 31 December 2016, there were 261 deaths among WTC-exposed firefighters and 605 among non-WTC-exposed. Both cohorts had reduced all-cause mortality compared with US males (SMR (95% CI)=0.30 (0.26 to 0.34) and 0.60 (0.55 to 0.65) in WTC-exposed and non-WTC-exposed, respectively). WTC-exposed firefighters also had lower rates of all-cause mortality (RR=0.54, 95% CI=0.49 to 0.59) and cancer-specific, cardiovascular-specific and respiratory disease-specific mortality compared with non-WTC-exposed firefighters. CONCLUSION Both firefighter cohorts had lower than expected all-cause mortality. Fifteen years post 11 September 2001, mortality was lower in WTC-exposed versus non-WTC-exposed firefighters. Lower mortality in the WTC-exposed suggests not just a healthy worker effect, but additional factors such as greater access to free health monitoring and treatment that they receive via the WTCHP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankura Singh
- Bureau of Health Services, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Rachel Zeig-Owens
- Bureau of Health Services, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Madeline Cannon
- Bureau of Health Services, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Mayris P Webber
- Bureau of Health Services, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - David G Goldfarb
- Bureau of Health Services, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Robert D Daniels
- Division of Science integration, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - David J Prezant
- Bureau of Health Services, Fire Department of the City of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Paolo Boffetta
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Charles B Hall
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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Li J, Hall CB, Yung J, Kehm RD, Zeig-Owens R, Singh A, Cone JE, Brackbill RM, Farfel MR, Qiao B, Schymura MJ, Shapiro MZ, Dasaro CR, Todd AC, Prezant DJ, Boffetta P. A 15-year follow-up study of mortality in a pooled cohort of World Trade Center rescue and recovery workers. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 219:115116. [PMID: 36549491 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hazardous exposures from the World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks have been linked to increased incidence of adverse health conditions, often associated with increased mortality. We assessed mortality in a pooled cohort of WTC rescue/recovery workers over 15 years of follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed mortality through 2016 in a pooled and deduplicated cohort of WTC rescue/recovery workers from three WTC-exposed cohorts (N = 60,631): the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY); the WTC Health Registry (WTCHR); and the General Responder Cohort (GRC). Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were estimated to assess mortality vs. the US and NY state populations. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations of WTC exposures (date of first arrival, working on the WTC debris pile) with mortality risk. RESULTS There were 1912 deaths over 697,943.33 person-years of follow-up. The SMR for all-cause mortality was significantly lower-than-expected, both when using US (SMR 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-0.45) and NYS (SMR 0.51, 95% CI 0.49-0.53) as reference populations. SMRs were not elevated for any of the 28 major causes of death. Arriving at the WTC site on 9/11-9/17/2001 vs. 9/18/2001-6/30/2002 was associated with 30-50% higher risk of all-cause, heart disease and smoking-related mortality in non-FDNY/non-GRC members. Conversely, arriving on 9/11/2001 vs. 9/18/2001-6/30/2002 was associated with 40% lower all-cause and smoking-related mortality risk in FDNY members. Working on vs. off the WTC pile was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in non-FDNY/non-GRC members (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.25, 95% CI 1.04-1.50), and cancer-specific mortality in GRC members (aHR 1.39, 95% CI 1.05-1.84), but lower mortality risks were found in FDNY members. CONCLUSIONS We did not observe excess mortality among WTC rescue/recovery workers compared with general populations. However, significantly increased mortality risks among some sub-groups with high WTC exposure warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiehui Li
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, World Trade Center Health Registry, 42-09 28th Street, CN-6W, Long Island City, NY, 11101, United States
| | - Charles B Hall
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, United States
| | - Janette Yung
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, World Trade Center Health Registry, 42-09 28th Street, CN-6W, Long Island City, NY, 11101, United States
| | - Rebecca D Kehm
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, World Trade Center Health Registry, 42-09 28th Street, CN-6W, Long Island City, NY, 11101, United States; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, United States
| | - Rachel Zeig-Owens
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, United States; Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), 9 Metrotech Center 5E-63-K, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States; Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Medicine, 111 E. 210th St., The Bronx, NY, 10467, United States
| | - Ankura Singh
- Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), 9 Metrotech Center 5E-63-K, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States; Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Medicine, 111 E. 210th St., The Bronx, NY, 10467, United States
| | - James E Cone
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, World Trade Center Health Registry, 42-09 28th Street, CN-6W, Long Island City, NY, 11101, United States
| | - Robert M Brackbill
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, World Trade Center Health Registry, 42-09 28th Street, CN-6W, Long Island City, NY, 11101, United States
| | - Mark R Farfel
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, World Trade Center Health Registry, 42-09 28th Street, CN-6W, Long Island City, NY, 11101, United States
| | - Baozhen Qiao
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Cancer Epidemiology, 150 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12204, United States
| | - Maria J Schymura
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Cancer Epidemiology, 150 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12204, United States
| | - Moshe Z Shapiro
- WTC Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One, Gustave L. Levy Place, Mail Stop 1057, New York, NY, 10029, United States
| | - Christopher R Dasaro
- WTC Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One, Gustave L. Levy Place, Mail Stop 1057, New York, NY, 10029, United States
| | - Andrew C Todd
- WTC Health Program General Responder Data Center, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One, Gustave L. Levy Place, Mail Stop 1057, New York, NY, 10029, United States
| | - David J Prezant
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, United States; Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), 9 Metrotech Center 5E-63-K, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, United States; Montefiore Medical Center, Department of Medicine, 111 E. 210th St., The Bronx, NY, 10467, United States
| | - Paolo Boffetta
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook Cancer Center, Lauterbur Dr., Stony Brook, NY, 11794, United States; University of Bologna, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Via Zamboni, 33, 40126, Bologna, BO, Italy.
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Calvert GM. Tracking diseases related to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2023:1-7. [PMID: 36756896 DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2023.2175190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Accurate, timely, and complete disease reporting is essential to understanding the extent and long-term consequences of diseases related to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11). Although there are no public health disease reporting requirements that specifically mention 9/11, other mechanisms exist to track 9/11-related illnesses. These include the availability of 9/11-exposed cohorts, some open to new member recruitment and others closed. Record linkages of 9/11 cohorts to various data registries (eg statewide cancer registries and the National Death Index) are periodically performed. This paper describes these 9/11 cohorts and the efforts to track their health experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey M Calvert
- World Trade Center Health Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Mears MJ, Aslaner DM, Barson CT, Cohen MD, Gorr MW, Wold LE. Health effects following exposure to dust from the World Trade Center disaster: An update. Life Sci 2022; 289:120147. [PMID: 34785191 PMCID: PMC8791014 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to dust, smoke, and fumes containing volatile chemicals and particulate matter (PM) from the World Trade Center (WTC) towers' collapse impacted thousands of citizens and first responders (FR; firefighters, medicals staff, police officers) of New York City. Surviving FR and recovery workers are increasingly prone to age-related diseases that their prior WTC dust exposures might expedite or make worse. This review provides an overview of published WTC studies concerning FR/recovery workers' exposure and causal mechanisms of age-related disease susceptibility, specifically those involving the cardiopulmonary and neurological systems. This review also highlights the recent findings of the major health effects of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurological health sequelae from WTC dust exposure. To better treat those that risked their lives during and after the disaster of September 11, 2001, the deleterious mechanisms that WTC dust exposure exerted and continue to exert on the heart, lungs, and brain of FR must be better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Mears
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - David M. Aslaner
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Chad T. Barson
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America
| | - Mitchell D. Cohen
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Matthew W. Gorr
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America,Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America,Correspondence to: M. W. Gorr, 617 Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, 473 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America. (M.W. Gorr)
| | - Loren E. Wold
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America,Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States of America,Correspondence to: L. E. Wold, 603 Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, 473 W. 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, United States of America. (L.E. Wold)
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5
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Goldfarb DG, Zeig‐Owens R, Kristjansson D, Li J, Brackbill RM, Farfel MR, Cone JE, Kahn AR, Qiao B, Schymura MJ, Webber MP, Dasaro CR, Lucchini RG, Todd AC, Prezant DJ, Hall CB, Boffetta P. Cancer survival among World Trade Center rescue and recovery workers: A collaborative cohort study. Am J Ind Med 2021; 64:815-826. [PMID: 34288025 PMCID: PMC8515734 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed responders may be eligible to receive no-cost medical monitoring and treatment for certified conditions, including cancer. The survival of responders with cancer has not previously been investigated. METHODS This study compared the estimated relative survival of WTC-exposed responders who developed cancer while enrolled in two WTC medical monitoring and treatment programs in New York City (WTC-MMTP responders) and WTC-exposed responders not enrolled (WTC-non-MMTP responders) to non-responders from New York State (NYS-non-responders), all restricted to the 11-southernmost NYS counties, where most responders resided. Parametric survival models estimated cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. Follow-up ended at death or on December 31, 2016. RESULTS From January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2016, there were 2,037 cancer cases and 303 deaths (248 cancer-related deaths) among WTC-MMTP responders, 564 cancer cases, and 143 deaths (106 cancer-related deaths) among WTC-non-MMTP responders, and 574,075 cancer cases and 224,040 deaths (158,645 cancer-related deaths) among the NYS-non-responder population. Comparing WTC-MMTP responders with NYS-non-responders, the cancer-specific mortality hazard ratio (HR) was 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.64-0.82), and all-cause mortality HR was 0.64 (95% CI = 0.58-0.72). The cancer-specific HR was 0.94 (95% CI = 0.78-1.14), and all-cause mortality HR was 0.93 (95% CI = 0.79-1.10) comparing WTC-non-MMTP responders to the NYS-non-responder population. CONCLUSIONS WTC-MMTP responders had lower mortality compared with NYS-non-responders, after controlling for demographic factors and temporal trends. There may be survival benefits from no-out-of-pocket-cost medical care which could have important implications for healthcare policy, however, other occupational and socioeconomic factors could have contributed to some of the observed survival advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G. Goldfarb
- Department of MedicineMontefiore Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)BrooklynNew YorkUSA
- Department of Environmental, Occupational and Geospatial Health SciencesCity University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health PolicyNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Rachel Zeig‐Owens
- Department of MedicineMontefiore Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)BrooklynNew YorkUSA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population HealthAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkUSA
| | - Dana Kristjansson
- Department of Hematology and OncologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Tisch Cancer InstituteNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Genetics and BioinformaticsNorwegian Institute of Public HealthOsloNorway
- Center of Fertility and HealthNorwegian Institute of Public HealthOsloNorway
| | - Jiehui Li
- New York City Department of Health and Mental HygieneWorld Trade Center Health RegistryLong Island CityNew YorkUSA
| | - Robert M. Brackbill
- New York City Department of Health and Mental HygieneWorld Trade Center Health RegistryLong Island CityNew YorkUSA
| | - Mark R. Farfel
- New York City Department of Health and Mental HygieneWorld Trade Center Health RegistryLong Island CityNew YorkUSA
| | - James E. Cone
- New York City Department of Health and Mental HygieneWorld Trade Center Health RegistryLong Island CityNew YorkUSA
| | - Amy R. Kahn
- New York State Department of HealthBureau of Cancer EpidemiologyAlbanyNew YorkUSA
| | - Baozhen Qiao
- New York State Department of HealthBureau of Cancer EpidemiologyAlbanyNew YorkUSA
| | - Maria J. Schymura
- New York State Department of HealthBureau of Cancer EpidemiologyAlbanyNew YorkUSA
| | - Mayris P. Webber
- Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)BrooklynNew YorkUSA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population HealthAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkUSA
| | - Christopher R. Dasaro
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public HealthIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Roberto G. Lucchini
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public HealthIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Andrew C. Todd
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public HealthIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - David J. Prezant
- Department of MedicineMontefiore Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY)BrooklynNew YorkUSA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population HealthAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkUSA
| | - Charles B. Hall
- Department of Epidemiology and Population HealthAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkUSA
| | - Paolo Boffetta
- Department of Hematology and OncologyIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Tisch Cancer InstituteNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Stony Brook Cancer CenterStony Brook UniversityStony BrookNew YorkUSA
- Department of Medical and Surgical SciencesUniversity of BolognaBolognaItaly
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6
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Bello GA, Ornstein KA, Lucchini RG, Hung WW, Ko FC, Colicino E, Taioli E, Crane MA, Todd AC. Development and Validation of a Clinical Frailty Index for the World Trade Center General Responder Cohort. J Aging Health 2021; 33:531-544. [PMID: 33706594 DOI: 10.1177/0898264321997675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: To develop and validate a clinical frailty index to characterize aging among responders to the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks. Methods: This study was conducted on health monitoring data on a sample of 6197 responders. A clinical frailty index, WTC FI-Clinical, was developed according to the cumulative deficit model of frailty. The validity of the resulting index was assessed using all-cause mortality as an endpoint. Its association with various cohort characteristics was evaluated. Results: The sample's median age was 51 years. Thirty items were selected for inclusion in the index. It showed a strong correlation with age, as well as significant adjusted associations with mortality, 9/11 exposure severity, sex, race, pre-9/11 occupation, education, and smoking status. Discussion: The WTC FI-Clinical highlights effects of certain risk factors on aging within the 9/11 responder cohort. It will serve as a useful instrument for monitoring and tracking frailty within this cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghalib A Bello
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katherine A Ornstein
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roberto G Lucchini
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,5450Florida International University, School of Public Health, Miami, FL, USA.,University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - William W Hung
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fred C Ko
- Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elena Colicino
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emanuela Taioli
- Institute for Translational Epidemiology, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Population Health Science and Policy, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael A Crane
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew C Todd
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Data Center, 5925Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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7
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World Trade Center Health Program: First Decade of Research. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17197290. [PMID: 33036199 PMCID: PMC7579473 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 placed nearly a half million people at increased risk of adverse health. Health effects research began shortly after and continues today, now mostly as a coordinated effort under the federally mandated World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program (WTCHP). Established in 2011, the WTCHP provides medical monitoring and treatment of covered health conditions for responders and survivors and maintains a research program aimed to improve the care and well-being of the affected population. By 2020, funds in excess of USD 127 M had been awarded for health effects research. This review describes research findings and provides an overview of the WTCHP and its future directions. The literature was systematically searched for relevant articles published from 11 September 2001 through 30 June 2020. Synthesis was limited to broad categories of mental health, cancer, respiratory disease, vulnerable populations, and emerging conditions. In total, 944 WTC articles were published, including peer-reviewed articles funded by the WTCHP (n = 291) and other sources. Research has focused on characterizing the burden and etiology of WTC-related health conditions. As the program moves forward, translational research that directly enhances the care of individuals with chronic mental and physical health conditions is needed.
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8
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Colbeth HL, Zeig-Owens R, Hall CB, Webber MP, Schwartz TM, Prezant DJ. Mortality among Fire Department of the City of New York Rescue and Recovery Workers Exposed to the World Trade Center Disaster, 2001-2017. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E6266. [PMID: 32872174 PMCID: PMC7504578 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The World Trade Center (WTC) attacks on 9/11/2001 have consistently been associated with elevated rates of physical and mental health morbidities, while evidence about mortality has been limited. We examined mortality between 9/12/2001 and 12/31/2017 among 15,431 WTC-exposed Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) firefighters and emergency medical service providers (EMS), specifically assessing associations between intensity of WTC-exposure and mortality risk. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) compared FDNY cohort mortality with the US general population using life table analysis. Deaths were identified via linkage to the National Death Index. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify associations between intensity of WTC-exposure and mortality, accounting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking history, and other relevant confounders. We identified 546 deaths and a lower than expected all-cause mortality rate (SMR = 0.34; 95% CI, 0.31–0.37). No cause-specific SMRs were meaningfully elevated. Mortality hazard ratios showed no association or linear trend with level of WTC-exposure. Our results provide evidence of the healthy worker effect, despite exposure to the World Trade Center. More follow-up time may be needed to assess the full impact of WTC-exposure on mortality in this occupational population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary L. Colbeth
- Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; (H.L.C.); (M.P.W.); (T.M.S.); (D.J.P.)
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonology Division, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
| | - Rachel Zeig-Owens
- Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; (H.L.C.); (M.P.W.); (T.M.S.); (D.J.P.)
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonology Division, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Charles B. Hall
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Mayris P. Webber
- Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; (H.L.C.); (M.P.W.); (T.M.S.); (D.J.P.)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, NY 10467, USA
| | - Theresa M. Schwartz
- Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; (H.L.C.); (M.P.W.); (T.M.S.); (D.J.P.)
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonology Division, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
| | - David J. Prezant
- Fire Department of the City of New York, Bureau of Health Services, 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; (H.L.C.); (M.P.W.); (T.M.S.); (D.J.P.)
- Department of Medicine, Pulmonology Division, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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9
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disasters cause severe disruption to socio-economic, infrastructural, and environmental aspects of community and nation. While the impact of disasters is strongly felt by those directly affected, they also have significant impacts on the mental and physical health of relief/recovery workers and volunteers. Variations in the nature and scale of disasters necessitate different approaches to risk management and hazard reduction during the response and recovery phases. METHOD Published articles (2010-2017) on the quantitative and quantitative relationship between disasters and the physical and mental health of relief/recovery workers and volunteers were systematically collected and reviewed. A total of 162 relevant studies were identified. Physical injuries and mental health impacts were categorized into immediate, short-term, and chronic conditions. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to explore the health risks and injuries encountered by disaster relief workers and volunteers, and to identify the factors contributing to these and relating mitigation strategies. RESULTS There were relatively few studies into this issue. However, the majority of the scrutinized articles highlighted the dependence of nature and scope of injuries with the disaster type and the types of responders, while the living and working environment and socio-economic standing also had significant influence on health outcomes. CONCLUSION A conceptual framework derived from the literature review clearly illustrated several critical elements that directly or indirectly cause damage to physical and mental health of disaster responders. Pre-disaster and post-disaster risk mitigation approaches may be employed to reduce the vulnerability of both volunteers and workers while understanding the identified stressors and their relationships.Khatri KC J, Fitzgerald G, Poudyal Chhetri MB. Health risks in disaster responders: a conceptual framework. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(2):209-216.
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Health Risks and Challenges in Earthquake Responders in Nepal: A Qualitative Research. Prehosp Disaster Med 2019; 34:274-281. [PMID: 31204642 DOI: 10.1017/s1049023x19004370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While the impact of disasters is strongly felt by those directly affected, they also have significant impact on the mental and physical health of rescue/relief workers and volunteers during the response phase of disaster management. METHOD Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 experts in the field of disaster management from Nepal, inquiring specifically about the impact of the 2015 mega-earthquake on the mental and physical health of rescue/relief workers and volunteers. A thematic approach was used to analyze the results. These were used to assess the applicability of a previously developed conceptual framework which illustrates the hazards and risk factors affecting disaster response workers and the related hazard mitigation approaches. RESULTS The findings suggested a relationship between the type of injuries to responders and the type of disaster, type of responder, and vulnerability of location. The conceptual framework derived from literature was verified for its applicability with a slight revision on analysis of experts' opinion based on particular context and disaster setting. Technical skills of responders, social stigma, governance, and the socio-economic status of the affected nation were identified as critical influencing factors to heath injuries and could be minimized utilizing some specific or collective measures targeted at the aforementioned variables. Some geographic and weather-specific risks may be challenging to overcome. CONCLUSION To prevent or minimize the hazards for disaster relief workers, it is vital to understand the variables that contribute to injuries. Risk minimization strategies should address these critical factors.
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Vuorio A, Laukkala T, Junttila I, Bor R, Budowle B, Pukkala E, Navathe P, Sajantila A. Aircraft-Assisted Pilot Suicides in the General Aviation Increased for One-Year Period after 11 September 2001 Attack in the United States. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15112525. [PMID: 30424489 PMCID: PMC6266333 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15112525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pilot aircraft-assisted suicides (AAS) are rare, and there is limited understanding of copycat phenomenon among aviators. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effect the 11 September 2001, terrorist attacks had on pilot AASs in the U.S. Fatal aviation accidents in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database were searched using the following search words: “suicide”, “murder-suicide” and “homicide-suicide”. The timeline between 11 September 1996, and 11 September 2004, was analyzed. Only those accidents in which NTSB judged that the cause of the accident was suicide were included in the final analysis. The relative risk (RR) of the pilot AASs in all fatal accidents in the U.S. was calculated in order to compare the one, two, and three-year periods after the September 11 terrorist attacks with five years preceding the event. The RR of a fatal general aviation aircraft accident being due to pilot suicide was 3.68-fold (95% confidence interval 1.04–12.98) during the first year after 11 September 2001, but there was not a statistically significant increase in the later years. This study showed an association, albeit not determinate causal effect, of a very specific series of simultaneous terrorist murder-suicides with subsequent pilot AASs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alpo Vuorio
- Mehiläinen Airport Health Centre, 01530 Vantaa, Finland.
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Tanja Laukkala
- Mehiläinen Kielotie Health Centre, 01300 Vantaa, Finland.
| | - Ilkka Junttila
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland and Fimlab Laboratories, 33014 Tampere, Finland.
| | - Robert Bor
- Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG, UK.
- Centre for Aviation Psychology, London NW3 1ND, UK.
| | - Bruce Budowle
- Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp, Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA.
| | - Eero Pukkala
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland.
| | | | - Antti Sajantila
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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Hashim D, Boffetta P, Galsky M, Oh W, Lucchini R, Crane M, Luft B, Moline J, Udasin I, Harrison D, Taioli E. Prostate cancer characteristics in the World Trade Center cohort, 2002-2013. Eur J Cancer Prev 2018; 27:347-354. [PMID: 27898584 PMCID: PMC5443704 DOI: 10.1097/cej.0000000000000315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
An increased incidence of prostate cancer was reported in three cohorts of World Trade Center (WTC) respondents. It is uncertain whether this increase is because of WTC-related exposures or enhanced surveillance. Prostate cancer cases (2002-2013) were obtained from the WTC Health Program. Age, race, and Gleason score distribution were compared with New York State Cancer Registry cases from the same time period. Multivariate models were adjusted for age and race. Analyses of clinical characteristics of prostate cancer cases within the cohort were also carried out, adjusting for age, race, and WTC exposure categories. WTC respondents had a prostate cancer age-standardized rate ratio of 1.65 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.37-1.93] compared with New York State; age-specific ratios were highest for ages 30-49 (2.28; 95% CI: 1.51-3.43), 70-74 (2.05; 95% CI: 1.03-4.10), and 80-84 years (5.65; 95% CI: 1.41-22.58). High WTC exposure was associated with advanced clinical stage (5.58; 95% CI: 1.05-29.76; Ptrend=0.03). WTC respondents continue to have a higher prostate cancer rate compared with New York State as a whole. Respondents with a higher WTC exposure level may have had more advanced clinical stage of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Hashim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paolo Boffetta
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Galsky
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - William Oh
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roberto Lucchini
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Occupational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Michael Crane
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Luft
- Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Jaqueline Moline
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention , Hofstra North Shore–LIJ School of Medicine, Great Neck, New York, USA
| | - Iris Udasin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Denise Harrison
- Department of Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center/New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Emanuela Taioli
- Institute for Translational Epidemiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Jordan HT, Stein CR, Li J, Cone JE, Stayner L, Hadler JL, Brackbill RM, Farfel MR. Mortality among rescue and recovery workers and community members exposed to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks, 2003-2014. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 163:270-279. [PMID: 29477875 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple chronic health conditions have been associated with exposure to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks (9/11). We assessed whether excess deaths occurred during 2003-2014 among persons directly exposed to 9/11, and examined associations of 9/11-related exposures with mortality risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS Deaths occurring in 2003-2014 among members of the World Trade Center Health Registry, a cohort of rescue/recovery workers and lower Manhattan community members who were exposed to 9/11, were identified via linkage to the National Death Index. Participants' overall levels of 9/11-related exposure were categorized as high, intermediate, or low. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMR) using New York City reference rates from 2003 to 2012. Proportional hazards were used to assess associations of 9/11-related exposures with mortality, accounting for age, sex, race/ethnicity and other potential confounders. RESULTS We identified 877 deaths among 29,280 rescue/recovery workers (3.0%) and 1694 deaths among 39,643 community members (4.3%) during 308,340 and 416,448 person-years of observation, respectively. The SMR for all causes of death was 0.69 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65-0.74] for rescue/recovery workers and 0.86 (95% CI 0.82-0.90) for community members. SMRs for diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems were significantly lower than expected in both groups. SMRs for several other causes of death were significantly elevated, including suicide among rescue recovery workers (SMR 1.82, 95% CI 1.35-2.39), and brain malignancies (SMR 2.25, 95% CI 1.48-3.28) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (SMR 1.79, 95% CI 1.24-2.50) among community members. Compared to low exposure, both intermediate [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 1.36, 95% CI 1.10-1.67] and high (AHR 1.41, 95% CI 1.06-1.88) levels of 9/11-related exposure were significantly associated with all-cause mortality among rescue/recovery workers (p-value for trend 0.01). For community members, intermediate (AHR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.27), but not high (AHR 1.14, 95% CI 0.94-1.39) exposure was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (p-value for trend 0.03). AHRs for associations of overall 9/11-related exposure with heart disease- and cancer-related mortality were similar in magnitude to those for all-cause mortality, but with 95% CIs crossing the null value. CONCLUSIONS Overall mortality was not elevated. Among specific causes of death that were significantly elevated, suicide among rescue/recovery workers is a plausible long-term consequence of 9/11 exposure, and is potentially preventable. Elevated mortality due to other causes, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and brain cancer, and small but statistically significant associations of 9/11-related exposures with all-cause mortality hazard warrant additional surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah T Jordan
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013, United States
| | - Cheryl R Stein
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013, United States
| | - Jiehui Li
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013, United States.
| | - James E Cone
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013, United States
| | - Leslie Stayner
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois, 1603 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - James L Hadler
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013, United States
| | - Robert M Brackbill
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013, United States
| | - Mark R Farfel
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013, United States
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Chatterjee A, Banerjee S, Stein C, Kim MH, DeFerio J, Pathak J. Risk Factors for Depression Among Civilians After the 9/11 World Trade Center Terrorist Attacks: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLOS CURRENTS 2018; 10:ecurrents.dis.6a00b40c8ace0a6a0017361d7577c50a. [PMID: 30090669 PMCID: PMC5898905 DOI: 10.1371/currents.dis.6a00b40c8ace0a6a0017361d7577c50a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The development of depressive symptoms among the population of civilians who were not directly involved in recovery or rescue efforts following the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks is not comprehensively understood. We performed a meta-analysis that examined the associations between multiple risk factors and depressive symptoms after the 9/11 WTC terrorist attacks in New York City among civilians including survivors, residents, and passersby. METHODS PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library were searched from September, 2001 through July, 2016. Reviewers identified eligible studies and synthesized odds ratios (ORs) using a random-effects model. RESULTS The meta-analysis included findings from 7 studies (29,930 total subjects). After adjusting for multiple comparisons, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with minority race/ethnicity (OR, 1.40; 99.5% Confidence Interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.88), lower income level (OR, 1.25; 99.5% CI, 1.09 to 1.43), post-9/11 social isolation (OR, 1.68; 99.5% CI, 1.13 to 2.49), post-9/11 change in employment (OR, 2.06; 99.5% CI, 1.30 to 3.26), not being married post-9/11 (OR, 1.59; 99.5% CI, 1.18 to 2.15), and knowing someone injured or killed (OR, 2.02; 99.5% CI, 1.42 to 2.89). Depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with greater age (OR, 0.86; 99.5% CI, 0.70 to 1.05), no college degree (OR, 1.32; 99.5% CI, 0.96 to 1.83), female sex (OR, 1.24; 99.5% CI, 0.98 to 1.59), or direct exposure to WTC related traumatic events (OR, 1.26; 99.5% CI, 0.69 to 2.30). DISCUSSION Findings from this study suggest that lack of post-disaster social capital was most strongly associated with depressive symptoms among the civilian population after the 9/11 WTC terrorist attacks, followed by bereavement and lower socioeconomic status. These risk factors should be identified among civilians in future disaster response efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinaba Chatterjee
- Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Samprit Banerjee
- Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Cheryl Stein
- Department of Health and Mental Hygeine, Division of Epidemiology, World Trade Center Health Registry, New York, NY USA
| | - Min-Hyung Kim
- Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Joseph DeFerio
- Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Jyotishman Pathak
- Department of Healthcare Policy and Research, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
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Bello GA, Lucchini RG, Teitelbaum SL, Shapiro M, Crane MA, Todd AC. Development of a Physiological Frailty Index for the World Trade Center General Responder Cohort. Curr Gerontol Geriatr Res 2018; 2018:3725926. [PMID: 29681931 PMCID: PMC5846374 DOI: 10.1155/2018/3725926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Responders to the 9/11/2001 WTC attacks were exposed to multiple toxic pollutants. Since 2002, the health of the responder cohort has been continuously tracked by the WTC Health Monitoring Program. However, no assessments have been made of frailty, an important health metric given the current average age of the WTC responder cohort (55 years). In this study, we use laboratory test results and other physiological parameters to construct a physiological frailty index (FI-Lab) for this cohort. The study sample comprised responders aged 40 years or older who completed a health monitoring visit at Mount Sinai Center within the past 5 years. For each subject, FI-Lab was computed as the proportion of 20 physiological parameters (lab tests, pulmonary function, and blood pressure) on which the subject had abnormal values. Using negative binomial regression models, we tested FI-Lab's association with the SF-12 wellbeing score and various demographic characteristics. FI-Lab showed strong associations with the physical and mental components of the SF-12 as well as age, race, and smoking status. Using a cutoff of 0.25 to define presence of physiological/preclinical frailty, we found frailty prevalence in the study sample to be approximately 12%. This study demonstrates the feasibility of assessing preclinical frailty in the WTC responder cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghalib A. Bello
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roberto G. Lucchini
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susan L. Teitelbaum
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Moshe Shapiro
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael A. Crane
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew C. Todd
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Bello GA, Teitelbaum SL, Lucchini RG, Dasaro CR, Shapiro M, Kaplan JR, Crane MA, Harrison DJ, Luft BJ, Moline JM, Udasin IG, Todd AC. Assessment of cumulative health risk in the World Trade Center general responder cohort. Am J Ind Med 2018; 61:63-76. [PMID: 29148090 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple comorbidities have been reported among rescue/recovery workers responding to the 9/11/2001 WTC disaster. In this study, we developed an index that quantifies the cumulative physiological burden of comorbidities and predicts life expectancy in this cohort. METHODS A machine learning approach (gradient boosting) was used to model the relationship between mortality and several clinical parameters (laboratory test results, blood pressure, pulmonary function measures). This model was used to construct a risk index, which was validated by assessing its association with a number of health outcomes within the WTC general responder cohort. RESULTS The risk index showed significant associations with mortality, self-assessed physical health, and onset of multiple chronic conditions, particularly COPD, hypertension, asthma, and sleep apnea. CONCLUSION As an aggregate of several clinical parameters, this index serves as a cumulative measure of physiological dysregulation and could be utilized as a prognostic indicator of life expectancy and morbidity risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghalib A. Bello
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
| | - Susan L. Teitelbaum
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
| | - Roberto G. Lucchini
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
| | - Christopher R. Dasaro
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
| | - Moshe Shapiro
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
| | - Julia R. Kaplan
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
| | - Michael A. Crane
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
| | - Denise J. Harrison
- Department of Environmental Medicine; Bellevue Hospital Center/New York University School of Medicine; New York New York
| | - Benjamin J. Luft
- Department of Medicine; Stony Brook University Medical Center; Stony Brook New York
| | - Jacqueline M. Moline
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention; Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine at Hofstra University; Hempstead New York
| | - Iris G. Udasin
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute; Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center; Piscataway New Jersey
| | - Andrew C. Todd
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
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